When Beth Foster climbed up among the much taller Richmond women's basketball players last week and managed 18 rebounds and 18 points, the 6-foot Mount St. Mary's forward served notice she would be a national rebounding force this season.
Then, racking up 10 rebounds and 20 points five days later against Canisius, the junior solidified her position as one of Division I's premier rebounders and scorers (17.3 points a game).
Through three games for the Mount (1-2), Foster is averaging 13.3 rebounds, nearly one more a game than the average of last season's leader, Idaho State's Mandi Carver (12.4). Foster is certain to be among the national Division I rebounding leaders -- if not No. 1 -- when the NCAA statistics are released.
Foster and her Mount teammates will be in Baltimore at 2 p.m. Saturday to meet Coppin State.
"Beth has continued to be a strong, powerful presence in the paint against opponents that are very competitive, week in and week out," said Mount coach Vanessa Blair. "To maintain consistency against tough competition is hard to do, and Beth has shown she comes to play every night."
The 38 points and 28 rebounds in two games last week earned Foster the Northeast Conference's Player of the Week honors. She leads the NEC in rebounding and is tied for sixth in scoring.
The Mount has played a difficult early schedule, although all three games have been at home.
Foster opened with 14 points and 12 rebounds in a 76-63 loss to West Virginia, came back in a 77-52 setback to Richmond to hit 12 of 13 free throws in the 18-point, 18-rebound effort, and was instrumental in an 82-77 win over Canisius.
More Mount noise
Mount St. Mary's freshman point guard Landy Thompson has played a major role in two straight victories for the men's basketball team (2-2), combining for 34 points in wins over Columbia and New Hampshire.
Thompson was a first-team All-Metro choice at Archbishop Spalding last season before enrolling at the Emmitsburg school, where he is averaging 17 points and 2.7 assists, in addition to posting five steals.
Thompson had a memorable Tobacco Road collegiate debut for the Mount, scoring 28 points in an 84-60 loss at N.C. State on Nov. 22. Thompson has hit eight of 17 three-point shots and is shooting 74.1 percent from the free-throw line.
Bachman is All-American
Julia Bachman, the College of Notre Dame soccer sweeper, has been named to the Verizon Academic All-America first team in the women's college division.
Bachman, a sophomore, helped lead Notre Dame to the NCAA Division III soccer tournament with a 6-0 Atlantic Women's Colleges Conference record and an 11-9 overall mark.
She has a 4.0 grade-point average in biology and pre-medicine, was the AWCC's Most Outstanding Player and led a defense that allowed one goal a game in the league.
Krause still winning
Junior Towson swimming star Aaron Krause has won three individual events in three meets this season, leading the Tigers to a 6-1 start.
One of Krause's three-victory meets came in the team's only loss of the season, to UMBC, last month. He captured the 200-meter freestyle, 200 individual medley and 200 backstroke in that meet.
The Towson women's team (3-4) has been led by senior Allison Paul (three individual wins in two meets) and sophomore Jen Irby (two individual wins in three meets).